Types of Air Sports

1. Aerobatics

Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. This is a highly adventurous sport for those who love to fly and master the challenges offered in aerobatics. Also, called as Aerial Acrobatics.

2. Ballooning

Ballooning is an adventurous air sport which involves flying a hot air balloon. Individuals who engage in this activity often enjoy the quiet ride and the bird’s eye view of the world below. Also, called as Hot air ballooning.

3. Drone Racing

Drone racing is a sport where drone pilots strive to build extremely fast and agile multi-rotors to fly around a set course as fast as possible. Almost all drone races today are done using FPV (First Person View) systems.

FPV is a type of drone flying where pilots use cameras to fly drones as if they were sitting in the cockpit. Some pilots fly using FPV monitors, whereas others use specialized FPV goggles to give them a more immersive experience.

4. Air Racing

Air racing is a sport of racing airplanes, either over a predetermined course or cross-country up to transcontinental limits.

5. Gliding

Gliding is the ultimate adventure sport. Gliding is flying a plane without an engine – soaring for hours on end, using nothing but the power of the air. This is the closest you will get to being a bird.

6. Hang Gliding

Hang gliding is a simple and popular air sport. In hang gliding, the rider flies a non-motorized aircraft which is called a hang glider. Hang glider pilots can be launched from hills facing into the wind, winches on flat ground or by being towed aloft from an airfield behind a microlight aircraft. The objective is always to stay airborne in lifting currents of air and – for many – to undertake long cross-country flights.

7. Parachuting

Parachuting is a method of transiting from a high point to Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent with the use of a parachute. It may involve more or less free-falling which is a period during the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal velocity. Also, called as Skydiving.

8. Paragliding

It is a fun, safe way to experience flight in its simplest form. You simply lay out a wing on a hillside or mountain, inflate it over your head like a kite, run a few steps and before you know it you’ve stepped off into the sky!

9. Wingsuit Flying

Wingsuit Flying is an extreme sport which relies on the use of a specialized jumpsuit often referred to as a WINGSUIT, squirrel suit or birdman suit. This jumpsuit is comprised of two arm wings and a leg wing which, supported by the use of inflatable pressurized nylon cells, increase the skydiver’s surface area to increase lift and allow him/her to fly impressive horizontal distances at a slower descent rate, thus increasing their time in freefall. The wingsuiter uses his/her body to control forward speed, direction and lift; it can take years of practice to be able to achieve efficient flight and to successfully manage the suit’s “angle of attack” to maximise performance. An efficient wingsuiter can achieve descent rates as low as 25mph and horizontal speeds of up to 220mph. Also, called as Wingsuiting or BASE Jumping.

10. Canopy Piloting

Canopy Piloting involves a parachute skydiver performing aerial feats above a small body of water. The main goal is to navigate a course that challenges a pilot’s speed, distance and accuracy. Also, called as Swooping.

Whatever you choose, make sure you are truly ready, because with any of these sports you will need nerves of steel!